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Lickey Incline

"The Devonian" used to run from Bradford, via Leeds and Birmingham, to Torquay and Paignton - all midland region stock. I used to see it in New Street on summer saturday mornings in the 60s, 13 (or more) carriages and often two locomotives at the head, a popular summer holiday service.
Note the 'train reporting number' displayed on the engines in both photos - M240 was the Devonian.

see https://robertdarlaston.co.uk/Railways50yr_files/image062.jpg for a Northbound 'Devonian' on the Lickey incline.
"[FONT=&quot]45663 Kempenfelt brings the northbound Devonian (Paignton to Bradford Forster Square) up the bank towards Birmingham. The fireman is taking a rest and looking out of the window while the banking engines do the work. In the distance more banking locos can be seen returning to Bromsgrove for their next trip up the bank, while further away one can make out the Malvern Hills. [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Saturday, 17th August.1957."[/FONT]
 
Lloyd said:
"The Devonian" used to run from Bradford, via Leeds and Birmingham, to Torquay and Paignton - all midland region stock. I used to see it in New Street on summer saturday mornings in the 60s, 13 (or more) carriages and often two locomotives at the head, a popular summer holiday service.
Note the 'train reporting number' displayed on the engines in both photos - M240 was the Devonian.

see https://robertdarlaston.co.uk/Railways50yr_files/image062.jpg for a Northbound 'Devonian' on the Lickey incline.
"[FONT=&quot]45663 Kempenfelt brings the northbound Devonian (Paignton to Bradford Forster Square) up the bank towards Birmingham. The fireman is taking a rest and looking out of the window while the banking engines do the work. In the distance more banking locos can be seen returning to Bromsgrove for their next trip up the bank, while further away one can make out the Malvern Hills. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Saturday, 17th August.1957."[/FONT]
Click to expand...


Hi Lloyd

Many thanks for the info.

Kind regards

Dave
 
Lloyd;200532 see [URL said:
https://robertdarlaston.co.uk/Railways50yr_files/image062.jpg[/URL] for a Northbound 'Devonian' on the Lickey incline.
"[FONT=&quot]45663 Kempenfelt brings the northbound Devonian (Paignton to Bradford Forster Square) up the bank towards Birmingham. The fireman is taking a rest and looking out of the window while the banking engines do the work. In the distance more banking locos can be seen returning to Bromsgrove for their next trip up the bank, while further away one can make out the Malvern Hills. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Saturday, 17th August.1957."[/FONT]
Click to expand...

Yes, many thanks for info and fine photo Lloyd. Only thing is, 45662 in my pic is supposed to be Kempenfelt so which is right? Needs the old Ian Allan ABC ref here!

Meanwhile back on the bank, awesome pushing power from Standard 9F 92075 in the 1960's.
 
motorman-mike said:
Thanks Alf, according to that, the loco in Lloyd's photo is Jervis - Lloyd where are you?:)
Mike
Click to expand...


Hi Mike

45663 is indeed Jervis, but I think Lloyd has the wrong number in his text,
as It appears to me that the number on the smokebox door is 45662.

Kind regards

Dave
 
Dave89 said:
Hi Mike

45663 is indeed Jervis, but I think Lloyd has the wrong number in his text,
as It appears to me that the number on the smokebox door is 45662.

Kind regards

Dave
Click to expand...

Dave, I agree, having got the old magnifying glass to it, there is definitely a 2 on the smokebox door. Well spotted:thumbsup:
Mike
 
We have just had a steam train pass us, its so sad living here and not knowing when one is going use the Lickey Incline, we have to walk over the field to be able to see it, I hate hearing its whistle blow and the puffing even the smell takes you back. Does anyone know if there is a site that announces the days that a steam train will be around here??
 
mysterymaid, you missed a sight it would have been 71000 Duke of Gloucester, travelling back to London from Gloucester, so should have passed through about 15:00. I forgot about it so I'm just as gutted.
It should have been 60163 Tornado, the new steam loco built a couple of years ago, but that failed with a leaking boiler.
https://www.uksteam.info/tours/t10/t0726a.htm

This site gives tour and loco movements https://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs10.htm

Colin
 
Thank you very much for the link, so annoyed I missed it, we were up the top of the fields with the dogs saturday evening, theres a good view of the line running along Pikes Pool and then turning towards Aston Fileds, I commented to my husband that it was a shame we were not there a couple of weeks back when A steam train was passing through, its not often one passes through.
 
mysterymermaid said:
Thank you very much for the link, so annoyed I missed it, we were up the top of the fields with the dogs saturday evening, theres a good view of the line running along Pikes Pool and then turning towards Aston Fileds, I commented to my husband that it was a shame we were not there a couple of weeks back when A steam train was passing through, its not often one passes through.
Click to expand...

Colin has left you the link I was posting but as I went to send my comp crashed.
I was going to go to Vigo crossing today but gave it a miss due to reports that the local constabulary were going to be active on the B4096 Alcester Road and Hewell Lane, it gets a bit crowded around there when there is a tour on. The train you missed is this one approaching Kings Norton station crossing onto the Camp Hill line.

View attachment 54226
 
View attachment 54231View attachment 54233
pencil.png
I took these two photo,s of 71000 as it came through Highbridge yesterday pulling the Torbay Express in place of Tornado
 
I hope to be in Torbay on the 8th. or 15th. of August to see D of G climb Goodrington bank. Dare I say thanks to 60163's ill fortune we have been treated to a spectacle by a special loco. From what I have heard the noise up the Lickey was pretty loud and there was a 66 on the back working hard but my source says that he did not know if it was giving a push or self propelling. I would think the former as although I did not count it looked like laod 11.
 
Yes it was very noisy and loads of puffing too, it always brings back Snow Hill station memories to me , we used to get the train to Borth every summer for our annual holiday. The wind was favourable to-day so we could even smell the smoke come through the kitchen door, so annoyed yet again I missed it. Looking at the site its the last Steam Train this year grrrr..
 
I worked at Saltley shed as a fireman back in the fifties and worked trains up and down both the Lickey and Camp Hill banks more times than I can remember and although the Lickey was the steeper and I think longer the Camp hill bank was a more difficult climb in my opinion especially the section near Brickyard. After Camp Hill station the bank continued to climb but on an easier gradient to Kings Norton so on a particularly heavy train the banking engines wouldn't come off till then so perhaps it was they that could be heard at Sparkbrook.

In those days the railway was 24/7 and especially at night the engines climbing Camp Hill could be heard for miles around due to the sound echoing off buildings, I know because sometimes if a duty finished in the small hours in the void when the night service had stopped I'd walk home from the shed to Belchers Lane and could still hear them at my front door! The Lickey incline was climbing up to the Birmingham plateau so the sound would tend to be directed back into the open countryside below and behind the train rather than towards Birmingham except perhaps towards the top at Blackwell.

I only had two years on the footplate before National Service took me into the Army but in my time the banking engines were always 3F 0.6.0s and I never knew or heard that Big Bertha or the Garretts were used on the Camp Hill bank.

Here's a little reminder of the Midland line long before my time!

https://www.redbubble.com/people/artistjeffries/art/3587496-4-midland-railway-single-1896
 
I found this postcard, if anyone would like it, I.M. me with your address and I'll post it to you.
 
My Grandfather was at Saltly I think. He used to drive engines but he lost an eye removing an incendery bomb from the rail lines at the back of his house in Woodwells Road ward End during the war. Ever the railway man was George Clegg God Bless him, he died in 1957
 
Hello Rowan,

How sad that your Grandad had to be taken off engine driving because of his bravery, I hope the railway found him employment elsewhere on the system, I didn't start at Saltley until 1956 so have no knowledge of this fine man.

I notice one of your surnames is Jeffries which is exactly the same as mine, a lot of Jeffries are spelt slightly different. My Dad, Henry, was one of ten children and was born in 1908 at Tilton Road, Small Heath, I never knew my paternal Grandparents but I understand my Grandmother was blind and seem to recall that my Uncle Bill died childless as did my Aunt Carrie but the other sisters and I think one brother all married and had large families scattered all over Brum so I must have many cousins but only seem to remember Sylvia who came to live with us once when we first moved back to Belchers Lane in the late forties.
 
Found this post card this morning :), looking for something else (not found :()

same as postie posted :)
 
Just read, on BBC News:

Passengers from Bromsgrove (Lickey Incline Route), to Birmingham, will have to take a bus.

It appears that there are not enough trains !!!!!

Could not make it up.

Eddie.
 
Like the "Yes Minister" programme when they built a hospital which was efficient without patients! It will all be fine when HS2 is built! Lack of line capacity I understand was the reason we never had stations at Castle vale and Bromford.
 
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